Electric furnace



Dec. 31, 1929 I c. E, CORNELIUS I 1,741,977

' ELECTRIC FURNACE Filed Nov. l0, 1928 CORNELIUS Ema CORNELIUS INVENTORI Attavneytrode blocks.

Patented Dec. .31, 1929 UNITED STA CORNELIUS ERIC CORNELIUS,

or s'rocxnomn, swnnnn ELECTRIC FURNACE Application filed. November 10,1928, Serial No. 318,365,

In electric resistance glass producing fur naces it has always .met withgreat difficulties to make the brickwork last. The walls .have beenconsumed after a short time and large hollows arise especially in thesurface of the bath. Even local damages may arise in the brickwork whichmay only be accounted for by their flowing from local overheating of thebath. y

This invention glass producing furnace which works with out damaging thefurnace lining, and in the said furnace both acid and basic substancesmay be molten without the lining'being im pairedto speak of.

The characteristic features of the invention are as follows. Thematerial, i. e. glass, to be produced forms resistance to the electriccurrent and metal blocks freestanding on the bottom of the furnace serveas electrodes, the said blocks being surrounded on all sides except onthe bottom by the material to be produced. For avoiding corrosion of thebot- .tom of the furnace the lining is cooled by .water, air or inanother suitable manner at a point of the lining located beneath theelec- The electrodes may be made from a single metal or from a compoundmetal. Hitherto, iron free from carbon (C -0.03%) has given the bestresult.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawingwhere Iiigure 1 is a vertical section of the furnace an Figure 2 is ahorizontal section of same.

A is the furnace lining. On the bottom of the furnace the electrodes Band B are lo cated freely and surrounded by the glass forming the moltenresistance C. The electric current is supplied to the electrodes B and Bby the connections D and D The electric current is transposed into heatin the zone F. In the centre of the said zone the highest temperaturearises which decreases somewhat towards the opposite faces of theelectrodes, but the current tends to keep the electrodes as warm as thesaid zone. In case the electrodes are colder than the resistance thegreatest discharge of heat occurs quite has for its object an electric.

ducing glass,

near the. surfaces of the electrodes. A posi-' and in Sweden January 9,1928.-

tion of equilibrium arises when the electrodes carry away by conductiona constant quantity of heat from the zone F to the zones E an E Thezones E and E may be increased or decreased by lengthening or shorteningthe electrodes. By the said arrangement the furnace walls are preservedagainst being affected because the glass material behind the electrodesis currentless and relatively cold. ()r in other words,the propermelting takes place in the centre portion F of the furnace, far from thefurnace walls. The cooling of the brickwork beneath the electrodes iseffected by introducing into the tubes H and H water, air or anothersuitable refrigerant which escapes through the tubes K and K after thecooling. The charge is supplied 1 through an opening, not shown, in thevault of the furnace.

According to Figure 2 the furnace has five pairs of electrodes. Betweeneach pair of electrodes there is a free space which is filled up by themolten resistance. This is also the case behind and above theelectrodes. The said furnace is adapted to the melting or the productionof glass, water-glass, cement, phosphates and other similar substances,and then the respective substances serve as resistance to the electriccurrent.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. An=electric furnace for melting or prowater-glass, cement and other Fsubstances, in which the substance which is melted or produced forms aresistance for the electric current, comprising solid metal electrodeshaving a large heat accumulating capacity in relation to the substanceto be treated, said electrodes being freestanding on the bottom of thefurnace and exposed to the liquid resistance. I

' 2. An electric furnace for melting or producing glass, water-glass,cement and other substances, in which the substance which is melted orproduced forms a resistance for the electric'current, comprising solidmetal electrodes having a large heat accumulating capacity in relationto the substance to be trea'ced, said electrodes being freest'a nding onthe bottom of the furnace and surrounded by the iiquid resistance onall'sides, except on the ase.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

CORNELIUS ERIC CORNELIUS.

